EP-A-0,451,566 discloses a gas chromatography device having a sample delivery device which comprises an evaporator tube, which can be subjected to cooling and regulated heating, for retaining or releasing, thermal desorption, delivered sample material, which evaporator tube can be exposed to the action of a carrier gas stream from a corresponding gas source and is followed by a separation column. In this case, a regulated carrier gas stream is fed through the sample delivery device, delivery of the liquid sample material, consisting of solvent and substances to be examined, taking place in a first operating state, while access to the separation column is pneumatically blocked by a regulated auxiliary gas stream, and the carrier gas stream together with the solvent is discharged through an open discharge line and substances to be examined are retained in an evaporator tube located in front of the separation column. In a second operating state, in which the discharge line for the carrier gas stream is closed and the auxiliary gas stream is interrupted, the substances of the sample material which were retained during the first operating state are fed to the separation column by heating the evaporator tube. This is, however, suitable only for liquid samples and not for solid samples or gaseous samples adsorbed onto solid substances.